Biby Reyes Blog

  Blog Post/ Creativity A Quick Creativity Exercise: “Opposite Day Brainstorm” Today I tried a fun little challenge called the  “Opposite Day Brainstorm.” This type of exercise appears in many creativity lists where you flip assumptions to spark new ideas. What I Did The rule is simple: Pick something ordinary and list  the exact opposite  of what it normally does or represents. I chose:  a refrigerator Here were a few of my “opposites”: keeps food  warm  instead of cold loses  leftovers instead of storing them hums lullabies instead of buzzing only opens when you’re  not  hungry fills itself with random snacks you didn’t buy I set a  2-minute timer  and let my brain go wild. What I Learned Reversing expectations triggers surprising ideas.  It forces you to rethink something you take for granted. It’s funny — and humor unlocks creativity.  Some opposites made no sense, but they helped loosen up my thinking. It’s perfe...

  Discussion Topic/ Design Starting Out With Adobe Illustrator: My First Steps as a Beginner As a beginner in design, opening Adobe Illustrator for the first time felt a little like stepping into the cockpit of an airplane. There were buttons, tools, panels, and settings everywhere. I honestly didn’t know where to start. But after spending some time exploring (and Googling.. a lot), I’m starting to understand how powerful and fun this program can be. 1. The Basics Matter More Than I Expected At first, I wanted to jump right into making cool graphics, but Illustrator quickly taught me that starting with the basics makes everything easier. Learning simple things like how to use the Selection Tool, how to zoom properly, or how to align objects made a huge difference. It’s not glamorous, but knowing these basics makes the whole program less intimidating. 2. Shapes Are Your Best Friends I used to think Illustrator required great drawing skills, but nope everything starts with shapes. Ci...

  "SMART" Goals. 

SWOT Analysis

Company Information. 

  Movie Poster. 

  Design Blog. Why Simplicity Wins in Design? I’ve been learning that good design isn’t about adding more, it’s about  removing distractions . Clean layouts, clear typography, and thoughtful spacing make a design easier to understand and more enjoyable to look at. Sometimes, less really is more.

  Creativity Blog.  "Shape Crop" Experiment. Resource : Pixlr tutorial on cropping to shapes.  What I Did:  I cropped a photo of a tree into a heart shape. Simple, but it completely changed the visual impact. What I Learned:  Cropping into creative shapes makes images more playful and expressive.

  Creativity My Experience with " Alternative Uses"  I tried the  “Alternative Uses”  exercise from "MindTools"   How it works: You choose an everyday object and try to think of as many new uses for it as possible in a few minutes. What I did: I picked a   paper clip.  I thought of using it as a bookmark, an earring, a tiny screwdriver, a keychain holder, and even a phone stand. What I learned: It showed me how flexible my thinking can be when I stop looking at objects in only one way. Creativity is really about seeing new possibilities in ordinary things.

  Design Blog. Learning from Design: Why Constraints Can Spark Creativity Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about design not just as an aesthetic choice, but as a problem-solving process. One of the most surprising things I’m learning is how  constraints often drive creativity  more than complete freedom ever could. For example, in digital design, a common exercise is to create a user interface using  only two colors and one font . At first, it feels restrictive why can’t I use gradients, multiple fonts, or decorative elements? But once you lean into the limitation, something interesting happens: your focus shifts to  hierarchy, spacing, and clarity . You start to ask:  What really matters to the user? How can I communicate the function without clutter?  That’s when design begins to feel purposeful rather than decorative. Even in physical design, constraints are a tool. Architects working with small urban plots, or furniture designers limited by mater...

Creativity Exercise Media Mash Up I recently tried a creativity exercise called Media Mash Up to  stretch my digital design skills.  The goal is to take an existing image or advertisement, remix it using image editing tools, and create something new. How I Did the Exercise  I chose a print advertisement online with strong visuals and text. I opened it in Photoshop and set a timer for  45 minutes . Editing constraints I used: Change the main headline text Alter the color scheme Remove or replace one major visual element Add a new visual element or overlay After editing, I exported the image and reflected on the changes: What story does the new image tell? How does it differ from the original ? How does it affect viewer perception? What I learned. Small edits can completely shift the message. Photoshop skills combined with creative thinking to tell a new story. Comparing my edit to the original taught me lessons about color, composition, and message. Remixing just...

  Discussion Topic Photoshop Brushes. Freebie supply: The freebies are styled nicely and grouped by theme, which helps when you're looking for a particular effect.      Krakograff: Smaller collection but high‑quality sets. FBrushes: These real world effect brushes are especially useful for photo manipulations or creative composites. FixThePhoto: Offers themed packs (fire, grass, smoke, etc) suited for photo retouch purposes.  Brusheezy: You can quickly find a specific brush style (splatter, texture, etc), preview before downloading.   Photoshop Actions. Brusheezy: A single familiar site offering both brushes and actions makes it convenient. FixThePhoto:  A huge volume and good categorisation makes it easier to find an action relevant for your workflow. Contrastly: Great for inspiration and seeing what kinds of actions exist; good for less common effects. PanosFX: If you’re beyond simple photo tweaks and want more dramatic or stylised actions, this...

  Postcards Lake Eva Community Park This is one of my favorite parks, with this assignment I wanted to describe the tranquility and the view that you could find in one of my favorite seasons like autumn which allowed me to play with the colors and texture. 

  Blog post 1 creativity.  This week, I tried the  “One by Five”  creativity exercise from The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM.  The idea is simple: take an ordinary object and change  one thing  about it five times.  I started with a plain envelope. I folded it differently, trimmed an edge, drew waves on it, added stickers, and finally wrote “Creative Passport” on the front. What began as a boring envelope became a tiny symbol of imagination and travel. What I learned: Small, steady changes unlock big ideas. Creativity grows through play, not perfection. Reflection helps you see how small tweaks shift meaning. This five-step process reminded me that creativity doesn’t require special tools just curiosity and the courage to change one thing at a time. The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

  Blog Post 1 design I've been learning about postcard design, and it’s teaching me a lot about the balance between creativity, clarity, and communication.  There’s no room for excess every color, typeface, and image has to earn its place. Here’s what I’m learning: Simplicity is powerful:  The limited canvas forces you to focus on the essential message. Visual hierarchy matters: A good postcard grabs attention from distance. The hierarchy of imagery, color, and text leads viewers from curiosity to connection. Every design tells a story:  a postcard is storytelling in its simplest form an intersection of art, emotion, and communication. Designing postcards has reminded me that  constraints can spark creativity . Sometimes, less truly is more and that’s a beautiful design lesson to carry into any project.